377th Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
The 377th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army.http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/fa/0377fa.htm History Lineage Constituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as the 377th Field Artillery and assigned to the 101st Division (later redesignated as the 101st Airborne Division) Organized in November 1921 with Headquarters at Green Bay, Wisconsin Reorganized and redesignated 30 January 1942 as the 377th Field Artillery Battalion Redesignated 15 August 1942 as the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion; concurrently, inactivated, withdrawn from the Organized Reserves, and allotted to the Army of the United States Activated 16 August 1942 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana Inactivated 30 November 1945 in France Redesignated (less Battery D) 18 June 1948 as the 515th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion (Battery D concurrently converted and redesignated as the Support Company, 506th Airborne Infantry - hereafter separate lineage) Allotted 25 June 1948 to the Regular Army Activated 6 July 1948 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky Inactivated 15 April 1949 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky Activated 25 August 1950 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky Inactivated 1 December 1953 at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky Activated 15 May 1954 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina Redesignated 1 July 1956 as the 377th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion Relieved 25 April 1957 from assignment to the 101st Airborne Division; concurrently, reorganized and redesignated as the 377th Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System Redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 377th Field Artillery Withdrawn 15 January 1996 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System Redesignated 1 October 2005 as the 377th Field Artillery Regiment Distinctive unit insignia * Description A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, an open parachute attached to a cannon flotant across a flash Or. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Gold scroll inscribed “FIRMITER ET FIDELITER” in Red letters. * Symbolism The scarlet of the shield is for Field Artillery. The floating parachute with the cannon attached is symbolic of airborne functions of the organization. The motto: Firmiter et Fideliter (Steadfastly and Faithfully) is expressive of the characteristics of the personnel in performance of their duties. * Background The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion on 14 November 1942. It was redesignated for the 515th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion on 26 September 1951. It was redesignated for the 377th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion on 31 July 1956. On 26 February 1958, the insignia was redesignated for the 377th Artillery Regiment. The insignia was redesignated for the 377th Field Artillery Regiment on 25 January 1972. Coat of arms *Blazon * Shield Gules, an open parachute attached to a cannon flotant across a flash Or. * Crest On a wreath of the colors Or and Gules, on a mound Vert a griffin, the lower (lion) part of the first and the upper (eagle) part including wings Argent, holding in dexter talons a trident bendwise sinister Azure, the tines impaling a fleur-de-lis of the first, the shaft terminating in an arrowhead of the fifth inflamed Tenné and the sinister talons resting on the top of a shield per pale Gules and of the firth within a border of the fourth. Motto FIRMITER ET FIDELITER (Steadfastly and Faithfully). **Symbolism * Shield The scarlet of the shield is for Field Artillery. The floating parachute with the cannon attached is symbolic of airborne functions of the organization. * Crest The griffin is a fabulous animal half eagle and half lion. The eagle alludes to the organization having served with the 101st Airborne (Screaming Eagle) Division in World War II and the lion to England, where it underwent training and from whence it “took off” for its air assault drops on Normandy and the Netherlands. The trident refers to “Operation Neptune” which launched the invasion of Normandy symbolized by the fleur-de-lis, an emblem of France, impaled on the tines, and alludes to the Normandy air drop. The arrowhead and orange flames (orange is the Netherlands’ national color) refers to the air drop on the Netherlands. The red and blue shield, suggested by the coat of arms of Bastogne, refers to the gallant defense of Bastogne, and has been “surrounded by” a border in allusion to the town being surrounded by the enemy and is white to simulate snow, the action having taken place during winter. The green mound refers to the Rhineland campaign and Southern Germany. * Background The coat of arms was originally approved for the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion on 14 November 1942. It was redesignated for the 515th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion on 26 September 1951. It was redesignated for the 377th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion on 31 July 1956. On 26 February 1958, the insignia was redesignated for the 377th Artillery Regiment. It was amended to add a crest to the coat of arms on 16 November 1964. The insignia was redesignated for the 377th Field Artillery Regiment on 25 January 1972. Current configuration * 1st Battalion (Air Assault), 377th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade, Fort Lewis, WAhttp://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/fa/0377fa01bn.htm * 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 377th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th BCT (Abn), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, AKhttp://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/fa/0377fa02bn.htm See also * Field Artillery Branch (United States) * U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps * Coats of arms of U.S. Artillery Regiments References External links * http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Heraldry/ArmyDUISSICOA/ArmyHeraldryUnit.aspx?u=3549 * http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/fa/default.htm Category:Field artillery regiments of the United States Army